Willie Smit

[WillieSmurfy]

Ok, but while we have you here let’s rather focus on the important stuff.

 

What are you racing plans this year? Any big ones lined up?

 

How are you guys coping with only being able to do IDT? John must be having fun being creative with plans. And then, we all cycle because we love it, but it must suck a Lance ball for a pro to not be able to ride outside for 6 hours a day? How are you guys keeping it together?

I think depends how big your apartment is, is a place to start. Some Professionals here in Andorra don't have very big apartments so can obviously become quite depressing I would presume for some. We are up in the mountains. Not much people here so get to walk outside.

 

A big reason we also can't go training yet is that if you get injured it's seen as negligence currently and you won't just receive a huge fine but your insurance won't pay out.

 

Many agents and Big names in Cycling believe the race Calendar that was posted by UCI cycling recently will not take place. And quite strange because governments have to give the go ahead for the races and they can't make any promises currently...

 

Most Pros here have actually been training quite hard still...so no backing off on that front. But training hard now is physiologically good for your future anyways...(too much to elaborate on now) haha.

['Dale]

Cool feature article on Willem’s achievement and more ????????

 

https://cyclingtips.com/2020/04/37-hours-and-1000km-on-zwift-willie-smits-mindblowing-lockdown-ride/

[Duane_Bosch]

Is Willie still around? I'd love to ask him a question around his Spanish speaking and how that affects the teams that he can sign for.

[jdwet1980]

Willie, why do the pro sprinters only ride and not race in Zwift?

[Job]

I see Willie on instagram he has been riding around in South Africa, is he still with the Pro team Bogus in Europe?

[fanievb]

Contract with Burgos ended

https://elpeloton.net/2021/12/willie-smit-se-recalifica-en-el-vigo-rias-baixas/?fbclid=IwAR3sSNVTSy9k4rAJyupNl4APe8W2akNoZHo4DeQyDoRRx8rGLYziF9nxujg 

[JJ]

4 minutes ago, Job said:

I see Willie on instagram he has been riding around in South Africa, is he still with the Pro team Bogus in Europe?

Don't think so. I might be wrong but I believe his BH is for sale here on the hub and seen on his social media that hes riding a bianchi.

 

 

[Spinnekop]

Willie is in SA until SA Champs.

He does not ride for the Bogus team and will return to his old Spanish team from where he started out as a pro

[Shebeen]

2 hours ago, JJ said:

Don't think so. I might be wrong but I believe his BH is for sale here on the hub and seen on his social media that hes riding a bianchi.

 

 

https://bikehub.co.za/classifieds/item/road-bikes/523018/bh-carbon-road-bike

 

this one?

[JJ]

3 minutes ago, Shebeen said:

https://bikehub.co.za/classifieds/item/road-bikes/523018/bh-carbon-road-bike

 

this one?

That's the one

[Job]

3 hours ago, Spinnekop said:

Willie is in SA until SA Champs.

He does not ride for the Bogus team and will return to his old Spanish team from where he started out as a pro

This is not good progress for him as well as SA cycling as a whole. We lost Team Qhubeka, now another SA cyclist is moving from Pro level to Amateur. 

[FootballingCyclist]

32 minutes ago, Job said:

This is not good progress for him as well as SA cycling as a whole. We lost Team Qhubeka, now another SA cyclist is moving from Pro level to Amateur. 

We currently also have Reinhardt Janse Van Rensburg without a team at all. Heard nothing on Nics side so looks like he will be riding for the Qhubekha Conti team, Marc Pritzen who is the current SA Road Champ has signed for Team Honeycomb Pro Cycling who are also local and are based up in JHB, So alot of SA boys starting 2022 off from "scratch" if I can put it that way.

 

I tell you what though, I believe SA's this year is going to be insane and super to watch as there are ALOT of hungry riders who "need" that title or even more who want it.

[ChrisF]

3 minutes ago, FootballingCyclist said:

We currently also have Reinhardt Janse Van Rensburg without a team at all. Heard nothing on Nics side so looks like he will be riding for the Qhubekha Conti team, Marc Pritzen who is the current SA Road Champ has signed for Team Honeycomb Pro Cycling who are also local and are based up in JHB, So alot of SA boys starting 2022 off from "scratch" if I can put it that way.

 

I tell you what though, I believe SA's this year is going to be insane and super to watch as there are ALOT of hungry riders who "need" that title or even more who want it.

Real pity for these young athletes.

 

Probably similar for many from countries accross the globe .... from all sports

[FootballingCyclist]

2 minutes ago, ChrisF said:

Real pity for these young athletes.

 

Probably similar for many from countries accross the globe .... from all sports

Yeah, even Byron Munton who did really well in the Zwift series with Alpecin and has been in Europe the past few years is now back in SA and has signed for a local team in CT until something in Europe hopefully pops up again.

[SwissVan]

In general the competition for team places is very high with hundreds, if not thousands of hopefuls competing for a handful of team places.

Unfortunately it favors riders from countries that are local and not hindered by visa / work permit / residence issues.

And then if you don't have a regular salary in real money (Euro), life becomes very difficult in Euroland.

Not saying this is the case with Willie, but I would not be surprised if it did not contribute to the issue. 

[FootballingCyclist]

1 minute ago, SwissVan said:

In general the competition for team places is very high with hundreds, if not thousands of hopefuls competing for a handful of team places.

Unfortunately it favors riders from countries that are local and not hindered by visa / work permit / residence issues.

And then if you don't have a regular salary in real money (Euro), life becomes very difficult in Euroland.

Not saying this is the case with Willie, but I would not be surprised if it did not contribute to the issue. 

Willie and his wife own(well atleast I think so watching his Vlogs) a coffee shop in Spain where he was based if I'm not mistaken, But yes unless earning a proper salary, life gets very tough in Europe as the Rand against the Euro stands no chance and no pro or aspiring pro cyclist wants to be living off the very bare minimum then still has to be 100% focused on training daily, correct on and off the bike nutrition and supplements etc. I know a few guys who were in Europe then had to try and sell their bikes and bits they had in SA to fund themselves whist they were still there.